Pin-drop silence reined as all three crossbow men were skewered where they stood, before chaos erupted. Screams of pain echoed off the walls to be matched by yells of panic. The soldiers surrounding Berend leapt forward at his command to be met by the few loyal guards that had remained inside the throne room. The nobles at the edges of the room shrank back even more, not a single one stepping forward to defend their king or new queen. It was odd to him that they watched such a conflict yet did not step forward to help in any way, but he had no time to ponder the reasons.
Armoured bodies surged together in the center of the room and Toru had difficulty making out who was friend or foe from this distance. A small knife whizzed past his ear and lodged itself firmly in an enemy’s throat with a meaty thunk. Kiyomi stepped past him armed with a dozen more knives twirling around her hands as she let them loose with deadly accuracy. Renato stepped around Toru as well, drawing the sword at his hip and leaping into the fray without second thought.
Toru watched for a second in fierce satisfaction and no small amount of pride as his mate tore through the mass of enemies with the ease and grace of a predator. Glancing around the room, he noticed that the king stood in front of his new queen with a drawn sword, joined by his next oldest brother, the steward. Neither had the same deadly bearing as their younger brother but they both held a steely eyed determination that Toru recognised as a Kessler trait.
Silia, the beta, stood at the edge of the fray with a large dagger in hand, fending off anyone who got too close, with William doing the same with a slim sword on the other side. The thin alpha stood more like someone who was used to flamboyant duels than a real battle but the same look also sat upon his features. Kiyomi moved near the edge of the fighting but unlike the other Kesslers, she actively sought out opponents, snarling as she downed men two to three times her size with remarkable ease.
Renato carved his way even further into the mass of enemies and it almost seemed as if it were a dance, so fluid were his movements.
Toru knew exactly where he needed to be. He manipulated his ice into a long slender pole, mimicking the one he had trained with, and twirled it in his hands.
Perfect.
With a feral grin, he leapt forward past Kiyomi, lashing out with the icy quarterstaff and forcing his ice out where it landed a hit. The bulky soldier went down with a scream as ice tore through his armour and flesh alike. Kiyomi crowed with laughter as she took out another and waved him forward.
“Go, I’ve got your back!”
Nodding to her, Toru dashed forward again and made his way through the fighting, laying about with his ice on any who foolishly stumbled into his path. It wasn’t long before he saw a familiar figure right in the thick of things and Toru dashed forward, pushing out with a thrown ice spear to stop an attack that was aimed at Renato. The man spun around with sword raised and paused in surprise as his intended target slumped to the ground at his feet. He looked up with wide eyes to see Toru grinning at him as he leapt forward to take his place at Renato’s back.
This was where he belonged.
Fighting side by side with his mate as equals, guarding the other’s back.
And so, they fought.
Back to back, working as a team as those who dared to attack them fell in droves. Time blurred and could only be measured in the number of hits landed and blocked. Toru spun his makeshift quarterstaff with all the skill and precision he could muster after only a few bare weeks of training but Renato’s skill and the sheer force of ice exploding where Toru struck made up for any deficiency. Any place Toru missed, a sword was there to slice through all opposition.
It was thrilling, exhilarating even. Not the fight, not the blood, or the death. But to be standing with his mate, working as one to protect themselves and each other. It was a completeness, a surety of belonging he had never felt before. Toru whacked another guard in the face and forced sharp spikes of ice through the flimsy metal helmet. The blood didn’t faze him as the man crumpled to the ground.
Sticky red coated his beautiful ice, and the screams matched those that sounded in his memories but it no longer caught him by the throat in paralysing fear and guilt. He would not feel ashamed by this. He would not take any other choice.
It was like each time he stopped a hit destined for Renato a little of the guilt released from his memories. He had come to terms with his actions, the choices he made, weeks ago. But still the memories and the guilt had lingered.
No more.
Toru felt like he was truly opening his arms to his power, accepting all of himself with complete understanding for the first time since Niska.
His gift from Yharis was beautiful, deadly, terrifying, and magnificent all at once. It was him, he wielded it, he chose his own path. He gained nothing by living in the past, nor by agonising over his actions.
This wasn’t redemption.
Perhaps there would never be a way to pay the cost of the lives he had taken.
But that didn’t mean he needed to sacrifice himself. Yharis could easily have taken his life after Niska but she didn’t and he now had to live for himself, for his goddess, and for his mate. It might not be the life he imagined but he no longer wanted to shy away from it.
This was his place, at Renato’s side.
Ice shards took another man down screaming as his frozen quarterstaff landed yet another hit. He felt nothing but the small satisfaction of keeping another from harming his mate. No memories swirled to the surface. Sluggish crimson did not overlay his vision.
Toru had made his choice and he would fight tooth and nail to make sure his chosen mate would live through this. So they could live through this. Together.
A sword struck out and saved him from certain death and Toru grinned, wide and feral. Yes, his mate. Renato grinned back. His alpha was a truly magnificent creature. From the corner of his eye he could see the play of muscle shifting as his swung his sword with deadly force. Each move was calculated and executed with a graceful precision any dancer would be envious of. There were no wasted movements, no mistakes. Even an aborted move still found a way into being transformed into a different one to take yet another target down.
Adrenaline hummed through his veins, making his focus sharper and keeping him from slowing. His world tunnelled down to just the circle of attackers surrounding them and his mate at his side.
Moving together with a surprising ease, they laid into those that dared reach out to hurt them.
Together, they would stay strong against anyone who dared to lay a finger on them.
Together, for they were mates.
Finally the surrounding crowd thinned and the last few soldiers suddenly seemed to realise how alone they were. Some tried to turn tail and escape but were easily cut down by Jamil and the other loyal guards. The few near the door that broke and ran were taken out brutally by Toru’s ice.
They made their choice and they would face the consequences of that.
There was no forgiveness or redemption for those that dared to lay a hand on his mate.
The grizzled man standing in front of Berend rushed forward, sword upraised, and Jamil stepped to engage him as Renato stalked forward, sword dripping with blood. There was no one left near them and Toru hung back to watch, unsure as to what would happen from here.
His instincts screamed at him to stay with Renato but with no enemies around, barring the one alpha who instigated this, it seemed better to hang back. The way his mate moved with such purpose, such deadly resolution, took his breath away, though. Berend had tried to hurt Renato’s family and he would take recompense. He completely ignored Jamil fighting in front of him, instead his gaze remained riveted on the other alpha alone.
Kiyomi moved to stand beside the other omega, a long dagger gleaming wetly in her hand.
The clash of metal on metal rang out before Jamil knocked the other man’s weapon away and ran his sword through his neck without hesitation.
“UNCLE!” Berend screamed as the man he called uncle
toppled to the ground.
Jamil and another guard from Renato’s household then strode forward to grab Berend by the arms. The man stayed unresisting as they stripped him of his weapon before forcing him to his knees. Renato still slowly stalked forward, power and anger radiating from his being. No one else moved, the silence only broken by the dull thud of Renato’s boots hitting the stone floor with each measured step.
The commanding aura that surrounded him blanketed the room and smothered all sound. It was like everyone held their breath as they waited for his actions. He looked truly magnificent in that moment and Toru felt a surge of pride that such an alpha had chosen him. His raw power was so apparent and yet he had chosen Toru and let him pick in return. Used his willpower to hold back, to show Toru his real self with nothing in the way.
Renato hadn’t done it particularly well, of course. Toru needed far more explanation than the stubborn man had given him, but he could see the truth in his actions now. It was never more obvious than in the way he had tried to protect Toru but then acknowledged his strength and let him fight side by side with him. Now what would his alpha do to one that threatened his family?
Renato only stopped once he reached Berend and he stood there for a long moment before his voice rang out, clear and sharp.
“As the Rokerean Prince of War, I call upon my right to mete out punishment on those who commit acts of war upon this kingdom.”
“No,” Berend whispered as he looked up in horror. Toru could see the whites of his eyes and heard the tremor of fear in his voice. Even as he was captured, he had not looked scared, just annoyed. But whatever was happening now clearly had not been in his plans. It was the first time Toru had heard Renato refer to himself by his titles.
“As the judge, jury and executioner, I proclaim you, Berend Abney, traitor to the crown.”
“NO! I demand my trial!” Panic was obvious in his tone now and he strained to pull away from his captor’s grip. It was a futile effort. The two guards held him with ease and their sneers showed what they thought of him.
“This is your trial.” Renato’s voice was cold. Toru glanced around at his alpha’s family and noted that none of them moved an inch as they watched the proceedings—even the king remained unmoving. All of their faces were carved into identical expressions of cold indifference.
In comparison, alarm and surprise coated the faces of the nobles watching from their place cowering at the corner of the room. A few braver souls had stepped forward to get a better look at the proceedings but most stayed back. Whatever this was, it was not something they expected.
“NO!” Berend screamed as Renato raised his sword and Jamil pushed him forward so that his body lay on the floor, neck exposed. The bulky alpha had to hold Berend still as he thrashed around, desperately trying to escape.
“For your war crimes and acts of treason, I sentence you to death.”
The sword flashed down and Berend’s screams of denial were cut short by a meaty thunk as the weapon partially severed his neck. The angle was wrong to decapitate the man, but dead was dead. Toru let out a breath he didn’t even realise he had been holding. The king’s voice rang out behind them and started issuing orders. A moment of stunned stillness surrounded them before people scrabbled to obey.
Toru stood motionless with Kiyomi by his side while he waited for Renato to return.
“I don’t understand what just happened,” he asked her, confused. “Why did Ren step forward? Shouldn’t it have been the king? Isn’t that what a king is supposed to do? Deal with traitors? And why is everyone else so surprised?”
Kiyomi glanced at him with the hint of a smile. “Had Katsuo had to deal with Berend as the king, he would have to imprison him before conducting a public trial. No doubt Berend had back up plans to spring him out if he failed or nobles paid off to stand to his defence if he did have to face a trial. As the Prince of War, Renato has more power than the king when it comes to protecting this kingdom. Because Berend attacked in the capital with so many soldiers against our entire family, he could call it an act of war and invoke the rights he would normally only wield on the battlefield. It was a tenuous stretch to call it such but no one would dare question it right after this happened. For us, it means there’s no chance of him coming back later on to cause more trouble.”
Toru nodded in understanding but further questions were interrupted by Renato sweeping him up into his arms and kissing him senseless. Overwhelmed by the passion his alpha displayed, Toru forgot about their surroundings and returned the gesture wholeheartedly. It wasn’t until they breathlessly broke apart that he remembered their rather large audience. He turned around to look at the others but Renato would not let him go and kept his arms wrapped around his waist. Kiyomi’s expressionless mask had been replaced by a devious grin.
The little omega approached and pressed a light kiss to each of his cheeks before pulling away.
“Thank you, brother, for protecting us.”
“Brother?” Toru squeaked out in surprise.
“Of course.” Her grin just widened. “You are part of the family now.” She raised her voice at the end so it rang out loudly. The other Kessler siblings nodded with varying degrees of enthusiasm. The newly crowned omegan queen came forward to press a small kiss to each of his cheeks as well.
“Thank you.” The gratitude was obvious in her tone and Toru squirmed uncomfortably in embarrassment. Any reply was cut off by Kiyomi gleefully digging into Silia about her earlier disapproval of Renato’s choice in mate. He traded a small smile with the omega queen before she moved back to stand beside her own mate.
Jamil approached with a polite bow to confer with Renato about what to do from here and between the Kessler siblings they rapped out more orders to start the clean-up. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, Toru was hit by a wave of exhaustion. He sagged against his alpha’s chest as he tried to keep his eyes open.
“Toru?” Renato’s deep voice held a tinge of alarm.
“I used more power than I thought I had.”
Renato maneuvered him up into arms and he slipped his own arms around the man’s neck as he leaned in to the embrace.
“Go.” Toru thought that was the king’s voice but his eyes were too heavy to open and see. “We can manage from here, you’ve both played your parts.”
He took a moment to realise they were moving, Renato’s steps were so smooth and graceful. A soft kiss pressed to his forehead and Toru sighed in pleasure as he let himself drift away.
Chapter 15: I’m Yours and You’re Mine
Toru slept for the better part of two days, only waking when Renato came and hand fed him light foods. He had used far more of his power than he initially realised. It had been far from running out but the fight went on for a surprising amount of time. Minor cuts and scrapes that marked his unprotected skin had been carefully treated by Renato but had now mostly healed.
He drifted in the comfortable space between sleeping and wakefulness when he noticed something disturbing his blankets. A familiar scent washed over him and blinked his eyes open owlishly.
“Ren?”
“How are you feeling?” Renato asked softly as he pulled more of the blankets away from Toru’s frame.
The omega didn’t reply, his brain was oddly sluggish and he struggled to process exactly what was being asked of him.
“You’re nesting,” the alpha said by way of explanation. Toru blinked. Nesting? But that would mean…
He looked around and sure enough, pillows and blankets piled high around him and the alpha was still extracting him from even more blankets. Toru honestly didn’t even remember pulling everything to him to make a nest, all he knew was that he had been drifting in comfortable oblivion for an indefinite amount of time. But nesting like this usually only happened with bonded omegas where their bodies had a period of time before their heats that allowed them to wait for their alpha to arrive before the onslaught came on. He had never heard of it happening with a non-bonded pair.
“Ren…” Toru whimpered in distress as the need built higher and higher. He had never been taken so fast or so intensely by a heat before.
“Shh, I’ve got you.”
The alpha sat back against the headboard with the omega in his lap and pulled him up so they were pressed chest to chest as he reached around to press at his slick hole. A hungry mouth pressing against his own trapped his needy whines and Toru was torn between pressing back against the fingers to ask for more or press up into the wet kiss to be closer to his alpha. His frustration eased as Renato pulled him up onto his knees and two fingers breached his hole. The omega groaned in satisfaction as the pressure relieved some of the ache deep inside of him but it wasn’t enough.
Not nearly enough.
Slick ran copiously down his thighs now and the smell of it permeated the room. Renato groaned into his mouth as Toru pushed himself backwards, trying to fuck himself on thick fingers. He was done with just getting fingers, he knew what magic they could do to him but that wasn’t what he wanted.
They wouldn’t ease the ache deep inside or the lustful madness that had taken over his mind.
“Please, alpha, I need you. Ren, please. In me.” Renato groaned and shifted Toru closer still, trying to capture his lips again. “Ren, now!”
The alpha chuckled and rearranged them so that Toru straddled his lap with his cock pressed up against his slick hole.
“Take what you need,” Renato whispered into his ear as he nuzzled against him.
Toru pushed backwards, slowly impaling himself on that thick cock and groaned throatily in satisfaction. Arching his back, he pushed back further and relished in the low moan he pulled from his alpha. It felt so good, the stretch didn’t even burn and the full feeling overrode some of the ache burning inside. Renato sat mostly still, eyes riveted on his omega, as Toru bounced on his lap, fucking himself slowly. He peeked up at the man and was met with a bestial expression warring with restraint. As much as he appreciated Renato giving him control this first time, that wasn’t what he wanted right now.
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